Variable-speed transmission



J. l. BUTCHER. VARIABLE SPEED 'I'RALNSWHSSION. APPLICATION FILEDFEB-10,1920.

Patented Mar. 21,1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET I.

Jams I Bum-42g J. f. BUTCHER.

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, I920.

21, 1922 5 SHE ETSAHEEH Patented Mar.

III/r 11/11/11 1.1. BUTCHER. VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSiCN.

'\PPLJC2\TION FILED FEB.10, 1920.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

5 SHtETSSH EET 3- J. BUTCHER. VARIABLE SPEED TBANSMISSlON. APPLICATIONFILED 810.1920.

1,410,45 Patented-M51122}, 1922.

I Z r 1 4 more speeds to reverse warren stares FATENT @EFFHCCEJ J'AMEST.BUTHER, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

1,4 lease.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JAMES I. BUTCHER, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

sidin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inVariable-SpeedTransmissions, of which thefollowing is a specification,referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

fThis invention relates to change speed gears and transmissions such asare com-.

monly employed in the transmission of autober of speeds ahead arerequired and one or My invention applies more particularly to that classof change speed mechanisms in which the speed is changed by throwinggears of different speed ratios into and out of operation, and in whichthe teeth of the gears are not disengaged'or slid into mesh when changeof speed occurs, but are thrown into and out of operation by means ofslid-- ing .keys engaging'the hubs of the gears or by equivalent means.

In the type of change speed mechanism to i which my present improvementis especially adapted, all the gears are rotating all of the time whenthe machine is, in operation, so

that a-shift from one speed to another may be made while the gears arein motion, it being unnecessary tostart a gear from restwhen a shift inspeed is to be. made. In the type of mechanism referred to, means isprovided by which change ofspeed from high to low may be made withoutshifting the clutch and with only a slight change in I the speed of theengine, and all of the changes in speed are adapted to be controlled bya single lever.

My present improvement relates more par-- ticularly to a device,incorporated in a change. speed mechanism having the characteristicsabove enumerated, whereby the mechanism is better adapted for use inveryhilly country where it isdesirable to use the engine as a brake, tooperate'as a compressor and supply braking resistance to j the car whiledescending a steep grade.

It is common in the general-type of slide- 1 gear transmissions whichare well known in this art, to utilize the engine as a brake whiledescending hills, but only in a limited way. It is of course evidentthat in descending a hill the engine is more effective as a brake whenit is in low gear, for the reason that vAItIABLE-srEED TRANSMISSION.

Specificationef Letters Patent. Pategnftedl Mlar. 21, 1922.

Application hled February 10, 1920. Serial No. 357,587.

the momentum of the car While descending the hill is then absorbed bytending to-rotate the hill, the engine, being still in high gear,mobiles and like machines, in which a num- .diflicult' and sometimesdangerous to shift .the gears during the descent of the hill from highto lovspeed, in order to utilize the increased braking power of theengine at low gear. The difficulty of making the shift with slidetransmission from high to low while descending the hill arises from thefact that the shift of a slide transmission necessitates, first,throwing out the clutch, then shifting the gears from high to neutraland again shifting the gears to throw the low gear into mesh. Meanwhilethe momentum of the car is revolving the gears at a high rate of speedand it is exceedingly difficult to properly mesh them. Consequently itisseldom attempted to shift the gears of a slide transmission whiledescending a hill, in order to increase the braking power of theengine'bythrowing it into low speed. .lVith my improvement, on the other hand,I am enabled while descending the hill, not only to shift from high tolow without endangering the gears, but I. am also enabled to make the"shift without operating mechanism being installed. in a compare.

1 tiitly small space, and this is accomplished by usin'g closelyassembled constantly meshing transmission or change speed gears,inciuding a series of normally loose gears on a driven shaft with novelmeans for selectively fixing either of the gears for a desired speed.

Second, the compact arrangement of the of the mechanism are assembled.

transmission mechanism is furtherbrought about by the manner in whichvarious parts For instance, the greater part of the mechanism is a benchassembled proposition with the transmission casing, driven and countershafts so constructed that parts-may be easily and quickly assembledthereon, and then the assembled units brought together of the key; Fig.5 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalmechanism,

in a manner that secures perfect alinement, thorough lubrication, andpractically no noise during the change of speeds.

Third; a"'no,vel one way or over-running clutch performs a veryimportant office in the generalorganization of the transmissionmechanism; since with this clutch it. is not only possible to shift fromhigh to low speed without endangering'a gear, but to make the changewithout operating the usual clutch interposed between the drive anddriven View of the transmission mechanism;

Fig. 6-1s a view of the front end of the mechanlsm;

Fig. 7 is a view-of the rear end thereof;

Fig. 8. is a cross sectional View taken on: the line VIII-VIII of Fig.5;

Fig. 9 is a V ew taken on the line IX-'IX of Fig. 5;

F 10 is-a similarv View on lineof Fig. 5; 1

Fig. 11 is an end view of the driven shaft, showing an unlockedretaining ring and a three-key selector mechanism; Fig. 12 is a similarview showing the retaining ring locked, and

Fig. 13 is a plan of a portion of the driven shaft. 1

In describing my invention by aid of the views above referred to, I'desire to point out that the same is intended as. merely illustrative ofthe transmission mechanism as now 't-ion.

box 27 and a flange28for an anti frictionai embodied in an automobileand thorou hl Y .tested, but even so, Ido not care to coinine myinvention to the precise construction and arrangement of parts otherthan defined by the appended claims.

' In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a transmissioncasing. that is cylinr drical with the front wali 2 theprovided with anoblong vertically disposed enlargement 3, best shown in Fig. 6, and theupper portion of said enlargement c iniunicates with a front cylindricalhousing 1; provided with a detachable endplate 5. i l'ie' housing at isformed with a seat 6 for, an anti-fric tional bearing? and adjacentinnerend of said housingis an annular flange 8 providing a seat 9 for ananti-frictional bear ing'10. The'end' plate 5, which is held by aplurality of screw bolts-11 or other fastening means, is formed with astuffing box 12 and extending through said stuffing box and journaled inthe anti-frictional bearings T .and 10 are the stepped portions off-adriven shaft 13 adapted to be operated from an automobile engine orother-source ofjpowcr.

The drive shaft 13 has stepped portions thereof abutting theanti-frictional bearings 7 and 10, and the rear or inner end of thedrive shaft. is formed with an axial cylindrical recess 14 and aperipheral main gear 9 '15.

The recess 141 communicates with the face of the peripheral or externalgear 15. and the face of said external gear is formed with an internalgear 16. It will now be ob served that the construction-v of the housing4 and "the drive shaft 13 is such that the anti-frictional bearings 7and 10 can be easily assembledwithin the housing .4 and the drive shaft13 set in said bearings, and this maybe accomplished when the casing lison its forward end in an upright posi- The rear end of the transmissioncasing 1 is formed with a peripheral flange 17 and connected thereto bya plurality of bolts 18 and nuts 19 or other fastening means is theperipheral flange 20' of a cover plate,

21, which; constitutes the rear. end. wall for the transmission.casing 1. The cover plate 21 is formed with a rear housing 22 whichaxially alines with the housin 4, but is of greater length and diameter1; an said housing so asto provide clearance for a key shiftingmechanism that'w-ill be hereinafter considered. l

The side of the housing22 has alongitudinal offset pprtion 23, asbestshown in Figs.

housing have holes normally closed by a detachable plate 241.] At therear endof the housing 22 is a detachable end plate 25 held by apluralityof' screw bolts-26ior other fas- 1 and 7, and this ofi'se,t'portion and said te'ning means and formed" with. a stufiing I bearing 29.

At the juncture of the housing 22-and' the the anti-frictional bearing29 .is a driven shaft 33 provided with a longitudinal groove or key way34 and the ring 31 extends into a portion of the keyway 34, as bestshown in Fig. 5,, so that the ring 31 is caused to revolve with the.driven'shaft' 33 as supported by the.anti-frictionalbearings 30 and 29.

The driven shaft 33 longitudinall alines with the drive shaft 13 and theend of the drivenshaft is formed with a retaining ring groove 35 and areduced end 36, said reduced end extending into-the recess 14 where itis freely supported in a roller bearin cage 37 within said recess.

Suitable retaining rings or wear plates 38 may be placed on'the reducedend 36 of the shaft 33 so as to close the rear end of the recess 14prevent displacement of the rollerbearing cage 37, and serve as anabutment for the forward end of the driven shaft 33.

' Keyed or splined on the driven shaft'33 are a plurality of spacedbearing rings 39 for the hub portions 40 0f.loose gears 41, 42, .43,-and 44, said gears varying in diameter as best shown in Fig. 5. The hubportions 40 of saidgearsare formed with internal gears 45 extendingbetween the bearing 'rings 39 l and said internal gears alinewith eachother and with the internal gear 16 of the drive shaft 13.

The bearing rings 39 have the inner walls thereofprovlded withlongitudinally alining recesses 46 communicating with the groove orkeyway 34 of the driven shaft 33, as best shown in Fig. 9, so thataportion of each internal gear 45 will be exposed, when viewed endwise.The recesses 46 .of the bearing rings 39 provide communicating neutralcomp artments' for teeth 47 on a reciprocable key 48 slidable in thegroove or keyway 34 of the'driven shaft 33,

said key being retained in the keyway 34 by the ring 31 and aperipherally grooved collar 49 on the rear end of said key, said collarbeing free to move relative to the driven shaft 33.

The teeth 47 of the key 48 have the ends thereof beveled or rounded, asbest shown in 'Figs. 2 and 3, and .theteeth of the internal gear 45 aresimilarly beveled or rounded-so that the teeth 47 of the key 48 'mayreadilypass the teeth of the internal gears 45 when axially presented,and inter,- locked when rotatably presented. It is therefore possible.to shift the key 48 longitudinally of thedriven shaft 33 and have theteeth 47 mesh with the internal gear 45 of either of the gears 41 to 44inclusive 'orward manner in which the bearin of the internal gear 16 ofthe drive gear Further, it is possible to position the key 48 so thatthe teeth'47 thereof are in one ofthe recesses, 46 of the bearing rings'39, thereby occupying a neutral positlon which permits of the gears15,-41 to'44 inclusive freely revolving nelative to the driven shaft33should occasion so require.

Wit-h the gears 41 to 44 inclusive, free to revolve on ,the bearingrings39 anfl the ;hub portions 40 of 'said gears practically in abuttingrelation, said bearing rings and said gears are maintained in assembledrelation on' the driven, shaft 33 by the ring 31 in the forward end ofthe housing 22 andby a locking or retaining ring 50 loosely mounted inthe groove 35 at the forward end of the driven shaft 33, said lockingring being fixed'to the forwardmost bearing ring 39, as shown in Fig.5,. The locking ring 50 is also recessed so as to permit of the toothedend of the key, 48 passing into the internal gear 16 of the drive gear15, and I attach considerable importance to the rings and gears areassembled on the riven shaft. With the transmission casingl in avertical position it is possible to assemble the antifriction bearings 7and 10 set the drive shaft 13 in said bearing, and then set theretainingend of the driven shaft 33 in the recessed end of the driveshaft 13. The bearing rings andgears having been. assembled on thedriven shaft 33, prior to placing it in the drive shaft 13, permits ofthe transmission mechanism being easily and accurately assembled. Theenlargement 3 of the casin end wall 2 has an opening 51 longitudinafiyalining with an opening 52 in the cover plate 21, and in these openingsare placed anti-frictional bearings 53 for the ends of a stepped countershaft 54; cover plates 55 close the openings 51 and 52, said coverplates being held by screw bolts 56 or other fastening means.

Mounted on the countershaft 54, adjacent the end wall 2 is a large gear57 constantly meshing with the drive gear 15, and mounted on theopposite end of the countershaft are small gears 58 and 59, theformerconstantly meshin with the large gear 43 loose on the driven s aft 33,and the latter being in a plane with the loose gear 44 of the drivenshaft, but out of mesh therewith, for a. purpose that will hereinafterappear.

' The countershaft 54, adjacent the gear 57, has an integral collar 60and a loose sleeve 61, said loose sleeve supporting the hub pore 131011of a compound gear, composed of gears 62 and 63 constantly meshing withthe gears 41 and 42 respectively, of the driven shaft 33. The hubportionof the gear 62 is recessed to provide clearance for the collar 60and is formed with internal ratchet teeth 64 i1orn1all engaged by aplurality of spring pressed pawls 65 set in the collar 60, and

wear plates 66 surround the countershaft 54 at the sides of the collar(30. ratchet teeth 34 of the gear 62 and the pawl (55 ot' thecountershaft 54 constitute a oneway or ovc rrunniug clutch for fixingthe compound gear (gears (52 and 63) relative to the countershaft 54when said shaft is revolved in'one direction, otherwise permitting ofthe compound gear to remain stationary or run idle.

- 59 so that the reverse gear may mesh with the gear 44'and with thegear 59 and thus Thecover plate .21 supports a revoluble reverse gearoobest shown in Fig. 10, and this gear is in a plane with the gears 44 andestablish a driving relation between the countershaft 54-andthe drivenshaft 33, when the gear 44 is fixed .relative driven shaft 33 by the key48.

Slidable in the offset portion 23 of the housing 22 and extending throuh a portion of the casing 1 is a shift rod 6: which has its inner endprovided with a fixed fork 68 extending into the. groove of the collar49' loose about the driven shaft and carried by the key 48. The shiftrod (37 is disposed inparallelism with the driven shaft 33 and the key48is shifted in synchronism with said. rod. The outer end of the rod isadapted to be operated by the mechanism disclosed in Patent No,1,232,889 granted JulylO, 1917, but instead of using devices on thequadrant of the steering column as sembly for preventing accidentalmovement of the shiftu'od 67, I provide said rod with a series ofnotches 69 for a spring pressed detent 70, carried by the enlargement 3of the casing end wall 2, said lockingmeans being shown in Fig. 6 of thedrawing.

Some of the'other structuralelements of the transmission mechanism are asupporting plate 71 connected to the peripheral flange 20 of the coverplate 21; a lubricantcup 78 carried by the enlargement 3 of the -casingend walls, and a drain plug 79 carried by the same enlargement for thecasing 1. A ionsidering the operation of the transmission meclmnism.(lirect drive by the drive shaft 13 to the driven shaft 33 is attainedby shifting the key 48 until its teeth 47 engage the internal gear 16 ofthe drive ear 15, thus connecting the driven shaft33 for rotativccontinuity with the drive shaft 13.

First speed is obtained by, shifting the key 43 so as to fix theloosegear 41 relative to the driven' shaft 33, when power is transmitted fromthe drive shaft 13* through the gears 15, 57, (32 and 41 to the drivenshaft 1 33, it being understood that the clutch of the countershaftestablishes a driving relation between the countershaft 54 and the gear62.

The internal to the Reverse is accomplished by shifting the .key 48 tofix the gear 44 relative. to the driven shaft 33, when power istransmitted thereto from the drive shaft 13 through the gears 15 and 57,countershaft 54'an'd the gears 59, 66 and 44. l

From the foregoing it will be observed that through the medium ofthe'consta-ntly meshing gears and the one-way or overrunning clutch thatit is possible to shift from high to low speed without clashing of gearsor endangering any particular gear, and the speed change is made withoutoperating the usual clutch interposed between the drive shaft 13 and theengine of an. automobile or other vehicle.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive in'order toexplain certain refinements of -the invention] The driven shaft 33 hasbeen described as having a single groove 34 for the reciprocable key 48carried by the'collar 49, ,but'as shown in ,Figs. 11, I2 and 13, thedriven shaft 33v may be provided with three equally spacedlongitlu'linal grooves 34 so that three keys may be associated with thecollar 49 and thus permit of a greater purchase being obtained on theloose gears 41, 42, 43'and 44, also the gear '15. to establish a drivingrelation between either of the gears and said.

driven shaft. Utilizing three of the keys 48 necessitates providing thebearing rings 3.) with three recesses 46, and to prevent circumferentialmovement of the bearing rings and thus maintain the recesses '46 inregistration with the grooves 34 of the driven shaft, the bearing rings39 have keys or splines 39 extendinginto longitudinal key or spline ways40 in the driven shaft 33, between the grooves 34. It is now impossiblefo1""the bearing rings 34 to circumfcrentially shift onthe driven shaftand it is necessary for the gears 41, 42, 43 and 44 to revolve on thebearing ring; The

spline connections between the driven shaft 33 and the'bearing rings 39insures proper assembling of said bearing rings. and in consequence ofthis construction it is necessary,-

to provide a retaining ring 50 with recesses 50 corresponding in numberto the key recesses 46 o'f the bearing rings 39. The retaining ring isfurthermore cut away so it may be placed on the end of the driven shaft33, as shown in Fig. 11, and then by and close the key or-spline-ways' mwith-'-. out closing the grooves 34 and opening 33? will be ca-rriedinto registrationwith the: recess. 41 in. the endmost bearing ring 39,

' and the Jetaining ring can be fixed rela',

- tive to the bearing ringby a 'pin It. is 10 through the medium of theretaining ring that all of the loose gears andkeyedbearing shaft andsaid di iven shaft with the gears of said driven shaft loose thereon,said countershaft having two of its gears loose, means, forcausing-saidgearsto rotate with said countershaft when driven inone direction, andmeans slidable in said driven shaft adapted "for fixing either of theloose gears thereof or for establishing-a direct driving rings can'bereta-ined on the end of thelrelation between said' drive and drivendriven shaft 33, so that said shaft may be handled as .aunit, and it' isobvious that a multiplicity of keys 48 .will insure apositive interhilckbetweken said drivlensllliaft -and-any= geart at ma' e'en a ed t e keWhat I cla im is: 2-.

' 1. 'A'.transmission meohanisrn'comprising a. casing, longitudinalalining housings I carried thereby, a drive :shaftin one of saidhousings extending into said casing, a-driven shaft 1n the-otherhousingextending into said'casing, a conntershaft journaled'in said casing anddriven by said drive shaft, constantly' meshing gears on .saidcountershaft,

and said driven shaft with the gears of said drivenshaft loose thereon,a clutch in one. of the gears of the countershaft, and means slidable insaid driven" shaft adapted for fixing either" of said-loose gearsrelative thereto oriestablish a direct driving relationbetween said'drive'and driven shafts.

2. A transmission, mechanism" "as char: acterized in' claim 1,whe reinthe means in said shaft may occupy neutral positions and the loose gearson said driven shaft are supported by, hearing rings rovidlng clearancefor neutral position 0 said means.

I 3. A transmiss on mechanism comprising a casing, longitudinallyalining housings carried thereby, a drive shaft' on one housingextendinginto said casing, a driven shaft in the other housing extendinginto shafts, 4. In a transmission variable speeds and direct and areverse drives may be attained, shafts having con- ;stantly meshinggears some of which are loose and are adapted to befixed for variousspeeds, said loose gears being assembled on a. shaft and retainedthereon -by a retaining ring engaging in said shaft and adapted to bepartially rotated and removed when said loose gears areto bedisassembled,

' 5. In the transmission of power, a shaft, bearing rings keyed thereon,gear wheels loose on said bearing rings, keys slidable insaid shaft andsaid bearing rings. and adapted to lock said gear'xwheels relativeto'said shaft, and a retaining ring mounted, in said; shaft and maintaining-said bearing rings and said gearwheels assembled on said. shaft. v .76; Power transmlssion means as charmechanism by which I acterized inclaim 5, wherein said retaining ring is detachably interlocked with"said shaft at one end thereof and is cut awayto provide clearance forsaid keys. c

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES'I. nnroirna; Witnesses: r

KARL H. BUTLER, ANNAM. Donn.

